another bloody problem

Little_ant · December 20, 2006, 11:00:27 PM

was out in the mazda tonight, wanted to warm it up before i made my venture home so started and left it idling for about 10 mins or so came back to my car and it was idleing like a peice of crap and running on 1 rotor, now it didnt bang or make a weird noise it just started running like this i noticed the heat light was on shortly before it cut out, managed to get it running again but still on one rotor so had to limp it home and its now sat on the drive thinking about what its done, but has anyone got any idea what could cause it, i know its due for a service which is going to be done once i get paid next friday, am just hoping it was a bit hot and will sort its self out when i come to it in the morning but if not any ideas? i can see engine rebuilt a foot tbh but just to sort it out till i can get some money together to get the rebuild done

Jono FD3 · December 20, 2006, 11:22:46 PM

could be fould plugs??? but if the light on the temp gauge is on then more than likely it\'s going to be what you dont want to hear!!

Jono

Little_ant · December 20, 2006, 11:23:52 PM

it wasnt the temp gauge light it was the heat light that usualy comes on when the cat is red hot

elford_tim · December 21, 2006, 06:32:44 AM

This may be "just" the cat then?

clive · December 21, 2006, 08:07:34 AM

Sounds like its flooded, use to search button at the top for more info

chrisBoid · December 21, 2006, 10:42:46 AM

I _almost_ flooded mine 2 days ago. Was stupid and didn\'t do my normal run up and down the road when getting the car out for a clean. When starting it up the following day it took about 5-10 seconds to fire, then all was fine apart from the CAT light flashing occasionally over the next 2.5 miles.

Little_ant · December 21, 2006, 06:12:01 PM

would that cause it to run on 1 rotor though? i mean i had to drive it about 2 or 3 miles home from where i was but it was at operating temp as i had left it running before i left so it wouldnt flood

Grizzly · December 22, 2006, 01:51:23 AM

You realy need to check the compression, Its all guess work until you do.

It could be ALOT!! of things that could cause this but the most Ovious is Apex\'s so start there and work back.

While your under the Bonnet check the Map Sender is pipes up ok and unplug it and plug it back in a few times just to make sure its got a Good conection.

Cally · December 22, 2006, 02:34:25 AM

Are these engines really that bad? surely everyone just panics? why would mazda release something in a 30k sports car i believe it was when new if it was going to be so fragile....

Martiny · December 22, 2006, 07:07:54 AM

Little Ant.
I am pretty sure it will turn out to be just a fouled spark plug.

Grizzly · December 22, 2006, 11:22:37 AM

Quote from: CallyAre these engines really that bad? surely everyone just panics? why would mazda release something in a 30k sports car i believe it was when new if it was going to be so fragile....

There are lots of diffrent opinions about this but if you compair how many Fd\'s need rebuilding after 60k against how many Supra\'s then it makes the FD look very bad. But as its already been pointed out if you buy a New FD, keep it stock and look after it all its life you may get it to over 100k. Its Sad but True.

Grizzly · December 22, 2006, 11:26:39 AM

Quote from: MartinyLittle Ant.
I am pretty sure it will turn out to be just a fouled spark plug.

The thing thats a bit suspect is it didn\'t try to Fire on the 2-3 mile trip home? I have had Realy bad plugs and they go on / off for a bit then die, Also for it not to be poping and banging after the trip home sugests it may be some thing Fuel related (if it was a Rotor Down you\'d expect lots of Fuel about in the Exhaust?).

Martiny · December 22, 2006, 12:26:09 PM

What if there is carbon build-up between the electrode and the earth ? Its happened to me before, though I must admit it was when I tried to run Racing plugs on the road.

Whats this "warming up"? - the best way to warm it up is to drive it.

RemarkLima · December 22, 2006, 12:35:26 PM

I\'d agree, just drive cars lightly to warm up, it\'s bad to leave them idleing, especially when cold as there\'s quite a lot of enrichment of the map until it\'s up to temp!

Quote from: GrizzlyThe thing thats a bit suspect is it didn\'t try to Fire on the 2-3 mile trip home? I have had Realy bad plugs and they go on / off for a bit then die, Also for it not to be poping and banging after the trip home sugests it may be some thing Fuel related (if it was a Rotor Down you\'d expect lots of Fuel about in the Exhaust?).

Well, the cat light would be on because of the unburnt fuel, AFAIK the cat will stop the popping and banging as the unburnt fuel will get caught and cracked by the cat (it\'s what they\'re designed to do) so less likely to ignite in the exhaust.

Many more recent ECU\'s have a misfire detection program, they\'ll shut off the cylinders that are missing so that unburnt fuel isn\'t making it to the cat as it\'s a massive risk of an engine fire that\'d be hard to put out.

Personally I\'d check the plugs before anything else, if they got really bad, they were fouled and then kept getting fuel pumped over them for 10 minutes it could be they need to be cleaned properly!

Grizzly · December 22, 2006, 01:06:28 PM

Quote from: MartinyWhat if there is carbon build-up between the electrode and the earth ? Its happened to me before, though I must admit it was when I tried to run Racing plugs on the road.

Whats this "warming up"? - the best way to warm it up is to drive it.

Yeh anything is possable but you can see the Plugs if you do a Comp test

Thing is there are two plugs per Rotor its a bit Unlikly both have done the same thing at the same time, Plus i personaly have never seen a Plug stop working totaly with no warning, But we\'ll see.

Also i forgot its still running a Cat so it possably would\'nt Pop and Bang (May just get Harder to start??)